Vitamix - Ascent X4 Blender - Black Stainless Steel

If a blender was ever more than a blender, this is it. I have played with every preset and most of the manual settings. This is almost a food processor. There is a salsa recipe that comes in the recipe book. Highly recommended. For smoothies, I put the liquids in first and work my way up to more solid matter. Hit the menu button, and it about 90 seconds, the smoothie is being consumed. Cleanup is a breeze. The parts are 'dishwasher safe' but the self clean does a great job. Just fill the pitcher half way with warm water. Add a couple drops of dish soap. Hit the self clean button....Rinse and let dry. Included along with the recipe book is a tamper and a tamper holder. It simply slides in under the left hand side of the blender and the tamper sits in the shot glass looking cup. The tamper could be confused for a very small wiffle ball bat or Billie club. Yes, my kids have hit each other and me with it. It is hollow and does not hurt, depending on where you are hit. The one oddity I found, and took me a minute to figure out. The lid does not screw on. There are tabs on the edges, simply extend one slightly to remove the lid. The tamper hole screws in though. Overall this is a fantastic blender. Like I said, it is almost a food processor.

The Vitamix Ascent X4 Blender was exceptional. It is the best blender I've had the pleasure of experiencing. The stainless steel heavy-duty body is premium. It is sold and didn't take up much of my countertop space. You receive the motor, holder, tamper, container, lid, instructions, and a booklet inside the box. There isn't much as far as setting up the blender up. It has an on/off switch which is in a weird spot. It is located under the motor on the right side. The turn dial feels amazing because it has noticeable clicks. I didn't encounter any problems with the buttons. They worked when I pushed them. The display the mode selected and the timer. This was a feature I was not used to before. You get a pulse, start/stop, menu, add time, and self-cleaning as far as buttons. The add time button feature worked well while I was making smoothies. Sometimes you just need a little bit more time to finish and have the right consistency. The display shows you the mode/program you have selected. You get a Smoothie, Frozen Desert, Frozen Cocktail, Dips, and Hot Soup program. My two favorites were the smoothie and dip programs. The smoothie settings got it just right for my liking. I didn't have to guess if it was in the right settings. The dip setting makes it much easier when making my homemade dips. You can make some bomb guacamole or red salsa fast. I still need to try out the "Hot Soup" program and I'm not a fan of cocktails. But it's a feature so you never know what the future may bring. One of the best features the X4 blender offers is the "self-cleaning" feature. Blenders can be hard to clean sometimes. You have to make sure you don't slice your finger open while doing so. This has a program for "self-cleaning!" It worked well for fast cleaning. With this feature, you can run it right after you use it. Just add some warm water and a little dish soap. Let the container and lid dry and you're done. Another great feature is it's not overly loud. On level one it's extremely quiet. My roommate was asleep in the room next to the kitchen. On level 10 it didn't wake them up. Staying quiet on the lower levels is always a plus. Even on level 10, it was annoying and loud. For the negatives, I wish the on/off switch was not located under the motor. The tamper feels cheap. But these are all minor subjective negatives. The tamper works as intended. Still, this is an amazing blender! You get that constant consistency with the Vitamix Ascent X4! I know now what a premium blender can do.

I used to have an old Vitamix blender from around 2013. It's still going strong, but I decided to get this as it seemed like a huge upgrade over that one. I was right. This blender is so much better than the old one. For starters, it has a screen that lets you pick multiple different options (Smoothies, Frozen Desserts, Soups, Frozen Cocktails, and Dips & Spreads). It's also got actually buttons rather than levers and comes with a tamper and tamper holder. I can make so many more types of smoothies and shakes with this new blender. It also comes with a recipe book. I don't have to spend time brainstormign what I want to drink; I can just open the recipe book, find a recipe for which I have all the ingredients, and effortlessly blend it together and have a finished drink two minutes later. The only negative I can think of is the tiny jug. For that price, I think a 64 oz. jug should be included and I shouldn't have to purchase one separate for more than a hundred bucks. Over, the Ascent X4 is a solid blender and I'd suggest it to anyone looking for a blender to make smoothies and/or shakes.

Quick Overview ================================= Call me sheltered when it comes to blenders, but apparently I didn't know that in the world of high-end everything, there are also high-end blenders! I'm used to electronics and cars, but this was new to me. This Vitamix Ascent X4 is a top-tier blender that promises premium performance. Let's see how it performs in the real world. Overall build ================================= This Vitamix Ascent X4 is a heavy, sturdy blender. Yes, the main pitcher is plastic, but it is dense and my other top-of-the-range competitor also uses a plastic container. In this case, it's a taller, narrower one then my multi-purpose food-processor machine that currently takes up space on my counter. The base is weighty and I like the central knob and display to directly dial in your choices without making everything a touchscreen. The lid of the pitches stays on firmly and it comes with a large (but hollow) plastic tamper to push your ingredients down when needed. It even comes with a small tamper stand that can affix to the left or right side of your blender. There's a small power switch on the lower right edge if you want to turn it off. Otherwise it stays "idle" and displays a nice spinning animation on the front display. The pitcher itself is dishwasher safe, but since the Vitamix comes with a cleaning mode, and that's what they recommend using, I decided to go that route. Just a drop of soap, some warm water, and let the cleaning cycle do its thing! This thing is high-powered but smooth! There was very little vibration as it ramped up speed. Performance ================================= OK onto the test! I did spend a few minutes reading the instructions and guide since it does recommend a certain way to "feed the machine" when making certain things. For a smoothie, it recommended liquid first, then some ingredients like fresh fruit, then ice or frozen fruit at the end. I loaded up a pitcher just like it described, placed it at the top, selected the picture of the smoothie, then pressed Play! It started slowly then ramped up to max speed quickly! It's loud, but again, very smooth. There was no vibration or shaking. The timer is nice since it counts down until your smoothie is done. You also have the option of pulsing or adding time to it. There's also an indicator if you need to tamp down some things. At the end of the time, all of my chunky ingredients turned into a perfectly liquid smoothie! I did NOT expect to be this impressed, but there was a pretty big difference between this Vitamix Ascent X4 and my old food-processor/blender which left my smoothies, well... not smooth. We whipped up some more smoothies and decided to wash it for the night. Again, cleaning mode really comes in handy here. The next day we tried grinding coffee, nuts, and even making some pesto with fresh basil. Nothing was a challenge for this thing and the coffee and nuts turned out much nicer and more consistent than my old device. There was no contest. Conclusion ================================= You know that saying, "you get what you pay for"? Well, it's not always true, but in this case, it is. This Vitamix Ascent X4 is the "Cadillac" of blenders with the performance of a Ferrari. It's super-powerful, smooth, easy to clean, and fast. I usually had to spend additional time with my old device to try and get my smoothies less chunky. With this Vitamix, you just put your stuff in, select your smoothie, and walk away for just 1 minute. That's it! When something like this comes along and really makes your life easier AND saves you time with its performance and easy cleaning, it's a win-win. Highly recommended!

I’ve had a blender I’ve been using since I got married, just shy of 15 years ago. It wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t incredibly expensive, and I’ve been satisfied with it all this time. It only has an on and pulse setting and sounds like you’re running a construction site in the neighborhood when it’s in use. Its results were fine. Nothing amazing, nothing bad enough I thought anything of it. That all changed when I got the Vitamix Ascent X4 Blender. Sure, they’re both blenders, but that’s like comparing your Toyota Corolla to an F1 racecar – they’re league apart. The first thing you notice about the Vitamix Ascent X4, besides it’s hefty 14.25 weight is that, in my opinion, it’s smaller than I anticipated. Yes, it’s larger than my older cheap blender, but for all the bells and whistles Vitamix claims it can do it does not take up that much counterspace. The base is boxy and you definitely need two hands to lift and move it, but it’s not cumbersome by any means, with two inset side area helping act as handles as you may move it closer or further from your wall. There is a tamper with stand that can be attached to either the left or right of the machine – it’s a small piece of plastic that holds a tiny cup that fits the tamper. It’s not necessary to keep attached for anything to function, but it’s certainly helpful when you remove a dripping tamper from the top of the blender jar. Setup cannot be breezier. Plug in the cord, fill the 48-ounce container with warm water and drop of dishwashing liquid, attach the lid, flip the power button, press the button for the automatic self-cleaning program, hit the start button and you’re golden. After less than a full minute you rinse out the soapy water and you’re good to go. This is the same method you use for cleaning post every blend. I find it weird to be totally enamored with self-cleaning feature, but if you’ve ever been absolutely terrified of cutting yourself while cleaning a blender you will feel the same way. I cannot tell you the difference that this self-cleaning program has had on my wife and I in terms of wanting to use the machine daily. It’s so stupid easy and effective. The 48-ounce container is plenty big for a small family. The machine itself is compatible with all of Victamix’s “SELF-DETECT” containers and attachments. I’m certainly intrigued by their food processor attachment, but that’s a future purchase. It has clear markings down the sides as you measure some ingredients. The lid is simple – just pop it on the top, it holds by two snap clips. On the lid itself is a vented lid plug – vented, I assume to prevent problems with liquid explosions, something I’ve experienced on cheaper blenders. The lid plug itself also doubles as a 2-ounce measuring cup and when removed provides access to the tamper. It’s worth mentioning that the instructions are clear there’s a load icon to how you fill the container: liquids at the bottom, followed by dry goods, leafy greens, fruits & veggies, and topping with ice and frozen ingredients. This load order is beneficial for an even blend. That tamper itself is fine and completely effective. That said, I feel like the tamper is the weakest part of the equipment provided. It’s plastic and feels very light and hollow inside. Now, it does work just fine – no complaints about how it operates, that is exactly how you expect it to be. But it’s a surprisingly cheep feeling and looking tool for a product that otherwise screams elegance and class. I have no evidence apart from a gut feeling, but I think this may be the first part to get damaged. Turning back to the blender itself, the screen and controls are simple and functional. There’s a selection wheel in the center, to the left of which is a pulse button and the right of which is a start/stop button. Turning on the machine itself, you can manually run it using these three options, going from power level 1 to 10 with half increments. The instructions here make it clear that you should always start at a low speed and turn the dial to increase to a high speed while in operations. Above the dial is a menu button, which brings up the programs, the aforementioned self-cleaning button, and a +15 second button. Above that is the tiny display for showing the programs and power level. The built-in programs are really where the Vitamix Ascent X4 shines. Press the menu button and use the dial to scroll through the options: smoothie, frozen dessert, hot soup, frozen cocktail, and dips & spreads. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly set it and forget it as firstly you wouldn’t want to leave this unattended and several programs will show a tamper icon when selecting, flashing during the program at the time you should be using it to ensure an even blend. If that sounds, for lack of a better phrase, stupid easy to use that’s because it is. I didn’t have proper ingredients the day this showed up at my house, but I had juice, a banana, and a Honeycrisp apple. I put in a cup of juice, followed by the banana peeled and halved, and then I cut the apple into a few chunks, removing the core but leaving the skin on. On my old blender this would get blended, but if I didn’t cut the apple small enough it’d be a chunky non-homogenized mess after a few minutes of blending, stopping, spatula-ing, and blending again. On the Vitamix Ascent X4? Hit the smoothie button, used the tamper when indicated and in under one minute had a smoothie that I wouldn’t call the greatest in the world, but so incredibly impressive for the literally 3 ingredients I put in there I yelled for my wife from across the house to try it. It was agreed – that was shockingly well blended and tasty for a truly bare minimum of ingredients. In the days since that sense of “stupid easy” has been applied to all the modes. I’m always wary of automatic programs in lieu of manual adjustments, but I’ve honestly no issues with how everything has come out. In the interest of fairness, this has been with blender ready recipes I’ve found online (and some from the recipe booklet included!). My wife started experimenting with her own blending of frozen coffee making and while none of the concoctions were ever bad, she was after a particular consistency that took some trial and error. It's impossible to talk about Vitamix without the price tag that typically accompanies the name. Yes, it’s costly. However, this is, in my opinion, as “prosumer” as it gets. This is one model below their top of the line for home consumers. Anything fancier and you’re looking at their machines for professional kitchens. As to whether the value is there, that’s a bit on you to decide. At the start of this review, I mentioned that it’s the racing performance vehicles of blenders. If you value that, you’ll be fine with the cost. As for me, this blender has been in use minimum twice a day for the past week. Is it improving my life? I’ve made a smoothie every day, so that’s got to be nutrients I wouldn’t have otherwise been consuming on the regular. It’s simple to use. It’s simple to clean. It’s loud like any blender but it doesn’t deafen the neighborhood. I’ve already loved showing it off to others. It’s not my blender. It’s my Vitamix.

I was introduced to Vitamix in the late 70’s when a friend gave me a Vita-Mix 3600 with the instant reversing blades. It was a beast, loud and powerful. The only “blender” that was powerful enough to heat the contents simply by friction. Fast forward 50 years and we have the new Ascent X series X4. Starting with the four new models, I think the important thing to know regardless of the model is that your finished product will be consistent across the line and across the brand. The only major difference between the models is the controls and how you interact with the machine to create your concoctions - switches vs buttons and programs or not. The Vitamix Ascent X4 comes with the stainless steel and black motor base, 48 ounce slim profile container, food tamper and holder, printed recipe book, quick start guide and instruction book. The X4 model comes with five programmed presets, a self- cleaning preset, pulse button, variable speed dial, start/stop button, add 15 second button and digital display. Using the X4 couldn't be easier, fill the container and press the start button. What sets a Vitamix apart from any other blender is the raw power. When making smoothies, it's this power that breaks down the fruit and vegetable fibers and ice to the point you would think the drink was run through a strainer. I made cashew butter and was amazed that it was chunk free. I like the smaller 48 oz container that comes with the X4 rather than the larger 64oz from previous models. In a household of only two people, making smaller portions seems a little easier. If you need a larger container, they are available and the nice thing with the Ascent series is that by using the Self-Detect technology, the motor base knows what container or device like food processor or nut grinder you are using and adjusts programs accordingly. My only negative with this machine is the build of the food tamper. It reminds me of those blow-mold teddy bears I used to see at amusement park arcades, put .50 cents in the machine and watch it blow-mold the toy. With the incredible quality of the rest of the machine, the tamper just feels a bit light and weak to me. That said, it does what it's supposed to do and getting over my fear of grinding it into the blades went away after the second or third use. The included tamper holder attaches to either side of the machine but I find it gets in the way more than I care for, especially if your kitchen counter is short on space like mine. Another nice feature on the X4 model is that the display shows you when to use the tamper to make sure your food is getting blended properly. The included recipe book is really well designed and printed on very heavy paper. The nice thing about the recipes is that they are just a starting point and lay the groundwork of all the many things you can make with this machine once you get past making smoothies and frozen cocktails. It also gives you manual directions for foods that don’t have a preset program setting for. The X4 has five preset programs, the X5 has 10 and the X3 has 3, but like I said earlier, these are just conveniences and don’t make a difference in getting to the final product. Another thing I’ve heard is how noisy Vitamix machines are. I found the motor itself to be very quiet but the noise comes from the foods you are processing, like ice, frozen fruits and vegetables and nuts getting thrust around the plastic container - yes, you are going to hear this, and in many cases, it’s going to be louder than you might be used to. I can say it’s not as loud as my 3600 from back in the day. I am really impressed with my Vitamix Ascent X4 and am looking forward to using it to start eating healthier. Yes, getting past the price can be difficult but know that these come with a 10 year warranty - something I’ve never seen with other appliances. With proper use and care, your Vitamix will be passed down generations just like your grandmother's Kitchenaid stand mixer. I give it five stars and highly recommend it.

Same amazing quality you’ve come to expect from Vitamix, with an updated base. This is my third Vitamix in 20 years and I have never found a negative to say about them bc they are always finding ways to improve on their technology. Even adding a holder for the tamper which I would say was the only issue I ever had with it. I do wish that at this price point we also had 10 blending options, but I’m not loosing any blending modes with this unit. The base is a nice plus for us with the touchscreen, and with this upgrade we now have the ability to invest in some of the self detect attachments. If I had to find a negative, I would say that it BARELY fit under our cabinets with the stock 48oz container total is provided, which makes it difficult to slide out without hitting the container on the bottom of the upper cabinet when the rubber feet decide to stick onto the counter. Maybe one day they’ll finally make the base a bit shorter. I like the new container top compared to what was on my last model and the fact that the screen provides a digital timer and notification when the tamper is needed. It takes the guess work out of it. These blenders are work horses. Never loosing power, blades remaining sharp throughout the years. I highly recommend this if you’ve never had a Vitamix before and definitely if you feel like it’s time to upgrade your older unit.

I have been using Vitamix blenders a few times a week for more years than I want to remember given I work in a kitchen, and if I can sum up my thoughts on this unit in a few words they would be, “it will do everything you want or need, do it very well, and last for many years.” Specific to this unit, I am very impressed. Everything is well-built, solid, seals perfectly, and just “feels good.” The base has some weight. Some good not moving around weight. Stable. I really like the container size, not only just with regards to volume (48 oz, which is reasonable), but also shape and height. It is a little stouter than I am used to. I don’t really have a lot of counter space, so while the base has a little bit of a footprint, that its height comes in a “little bit” lower gives me a “little” more play in where I can store it as an entire unit. Beyond that, the screen is very clear, the dial has a nice feel and it as well as all of the buttons are responsive, intuitive, and easy to understand. Admittedly, it is taking me a bit to get used to the lack of physical buttons, but that is more of a muscle memory thing specific to my experience. Lastly, the inclusion of an attachable tamper holder is a nice add. All in all, zero complaints with the hardware. For me, while a fair amount of this unit is familiar, the styling is not, as it is clearly geared towards home use…and I think it looks great. All black. Clean. Simple. Some may say plain, or boring, but it Is perfect for me. They do also offer a couple of other color choices. That said, I do think the all black would work in just about any setting. So, generally, it has the build, and the looks, which of course is important, but where this blender really shines is in use. It is extremely versatile, with much more power than I think you will ever need. It can get a tad loud, but a lot of that is not the blender itself (it does have some noise), but rather the materials it is bending (blending?) to its will. New to me are all of the blending programs, the digital timer, the tamper indicator, and the add 15-seconds button. While I haven’t gotten into more than a few smoothies and a killer batch of loaded baked potato soup (ok and some drinks) so far, I think these are all really nice value adds. I lean heavily on the pulse and especially the variable speed and they have been perfect for me. I am looking forward to getting into a lot more, especially with fall arriving in my area with (hopefully) some cooler weather. Also new to me is the self-cleaning program. I love it. As is, everything is easy to clean on its own, but this added bonus (to me) is welcome. I, sadly, do not have a dishwasher, so any help is appreciated, even if I just use it to assist in what I typically would do. Vitamix does include a fairly nice little recipe book for those looking for inspiration or something new. Lastly, this blender is designed to be part of what Vitamix calls their self-detect system. I had never heard of this before, and it is pretty wild and I think a fairly innovative system where they offer a few different compatible containers and attachments that the blender…self-detects and allows you to use. Clearly this unit is somewhat of an investment, and these accessories are more of the same, but given I think this blender will last for some time, I like having the option to increase its usefulness. Less useful, but more fun, they also offer containers in a few colors as well as stainless steel. In the end, I really do like this blender, and I am very happy with it so far. It is extremely versatile, works very well, is built very well, and is easy to use as well as easy to clean. I like having a little peace of mind that it comes from a reputable brand in the space, carries a solid warranty, and should last for many years. The option to possibly expand the system is nice, even if I never decide to, and while it does come at a slight premium, I think for the quality you get and all that comes along with it, the value is there.

I have been thoroughly impressed with my new Vitamix blender! I have owned at least 2 blenders which I thought was the epitome high quality blenders. My last blender is one which has most of the features of my new Vitamix, yet somehow the Vitamix blows it away. I will start with the physical attributes of the blender. The base is very heavy and features a wheel to select your mode, and touch icons to run the blender. The pitcher is plastic and has a nice hefty feel to it and features a snap on lid. The snap on lid is much better than a rotating locking lid in my opinion. My only dislike is the rubber handle. It moves a little too freely for my liking and feels like gunk could easily get into it. The good thing is, with a little work, it can be removed for cleaning. There is also a large tamper used for helping mix some of the larger chunks or stubborn ingredients. The blender features easy to use modes, such as soup, smoothies, and even a self cleaning mode. I love the cleaning feature as all you do is fill half way with water, add a drop of dish liquid, and run the cycle. All you have to do then is rinse the pitcher. The motor is super quiet. The most quiet blender I have ever owned. The only thing that makes it loud is if you are blending ice cubes. Which brings me to my next point, the blending capability. I made several smoothies and they all came out perfect! None of the drinks I made had any chunks in them, regardless the ingredients. This includes fresh berries, frozen berries, and ice cubes. I whipped together a quick soup and used the soup feature and the liquid became very hot. It was a very basic cream based soup, but I plan to use this more and more in the future. The soup comes out nice and hot, and buttery smooth. Cleanup is a breeze each time I use it. It takes no labor at all. The base also features a rubber pad that allows you to remove and clean when there are spills. The rest of the base just wipes down for a nice quick cleanup as well. Overall, I absolutely love my new Vitamix blender! I keep coming up with new things to blend in it, much more than ever before. This weekend I am going to go shopping specifically with the intent to make new blended creations!